Brockton High concert on April 3 will pay tribute to Italian music

The Brockton High School concert band, advanced concert band, wind ensemble and honors group will perform at this year’s Spring Concert on April 3. Vincent Macrina, the high school director of music education, said this year’s concert will be a tribute to Italian music, from traditional songs to Frank Sinatra.

By Silvana Vivas

The Enterprise, Brockton, MA

By Silvana Vivas

Posted Mar. 27, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 27, 2013 at 3:55 PM

By Silvana Vivas

Posted Mar. 27, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 27, 2013 at 3:55 PM

BROCKTON

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It’s a community event

1. The Brockton High School concert band, advanced concert band, wind ensemble and honors group will perform at this year’s Spring Concert on April 3 at 7 p.m. in the BHS Fine Arts Building. The Brockton Alumni Association will join, and an alumnus will receive an award. Tickets are on sale for $3 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school’s main office and will be sold at the door.

Celebrate Italian culture

2. Vincent Macrina, the high school director of music education, said this year’s concert will be a tribute to Italian music, ranging from traditional Italian songs to Frank Sinatra selections. He plans to close with “The Universal Judgment,” based on the concept of judgment day. “It’s actually a poem that tells a story. There will be trumpet calls from offstage,” Macrina said.

Pavarotti performance

3. Going along with the Italian theme, Macrina will draw upon a show he put together with alumnus Jared Hancock the year Luciano Pavarotti died. “Jared owns a recording studio, and he was able to take a recording of Pavarotti singing and take out the music. The last time I was in Italy, I got an arrangement that fit perfectly,” Macrina said. The students played the accompaniment.”

Work behind the scenes

4. The bands rehearse every day, Macrina said, and one rehearsal was open to parents so they could see how things are put together. “They get a totally different view,” Macrina said. “They are blown away by what it takes to get 50 students on the same beat.”

Prep for competition

5. The Spring Concert is the second big concert of the year, and includes “higher-end” music for the students, Macrina said. The concert serves as preparation for the students soon heading to competitions. Members of the wind ensemble, made up of seniors, and select members of the concert band, mostly ninth-graders, will compete in the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association’s statewide competition. Anyone who receives a gold medal is invited to perform at Symphony Hall in Boston.

Honor for Brocktonian

6. At the concert, the Brockton High School Alumni Association will honor longtime Brocktonian and volunteer Dave Gorman, long known for organizing the city’s Kids Road Races. Gorman organizes several other events throughout the year, including The Enterprise Helping Hands Jingle Bell Run in December. For that event, Gorman has helped raise more than $135,000 for local needy families in 13 years of running the event.